1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an automatic coin machine (ACM). More particularly, the present invention can be adapted to be used as an ACM having a coin diverter and two or more coin processing mechanisms for toll road applications.
2. Background of the Invention
The construction, maintenance, and operation of transportation infrastructures such as roads, tunnels, bridges, and the like can be every expensive. As a result, many infrastructures have toll collection systems that receive fares or tolls from users of the infrastructures. The toll revenue serves to defray the cost incurred in constructing the infrastructures. The toll revenue can also be used to maintain the infrastructures. In addition, the toll revenue can provide income to governmental or commercial entities that operate the infrastructures.
In early toll collection systems, attendants were employed to manually collect tolls from operators of vehicles and to regulate the tolls. Utilizing attendants to collect fares involves numerous problems, including the elements of human error, inefficiencies, and traffic delays. Among other things, manual collection of tolls can be inefficient (time consumed when attendant manually collects fares from drivers) and expensive (costs incurred in hiring the attendants to operate the systems at all hours of the day and night). Furthermore, toll operators may incur further losses through embezzlement of cash by toll booth attendants.
To overcome the disadvantages associated with manual toll collection, devices have been developed to automatically operate toll collection systems without the need for toll attendants. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,646,215 issued to Stovall on Jul. 21, 1953, discloses an xe2x80x9cAutomatic Toll Collector Devicexe2x80x9d; U.S. Pat. No. 2,769,165 issued to Bower on Oct. 30, 1956, discloses an xe2x80x9cAutomatic Toll Collection Systemxe2x80x9d; U.S. Pat. No. 2,908,895 issued to Cooper on Oct. 13, 1959, discloses an xe2x80x9cAutomatic Toll Collection Systemxe2x80x9d; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,090,941, issued to Breese on May 21, 1963, discloses a xe2x80x9cToll Collecting Device.xe2x80x9d
A typical automatic toll collection system involves the use of a toll station or toll booth positioned at each lane of traffic so that vehicles driving on the highway must pass through the toll lane next to the toll booth. The passage of vehicles through each toll lane can be monitored with loop detectors, treadles, radar, light curtains or other devices capable of detecting passing vehicles. An ACM is installed at the toll booth of each toll lane and connected electronically to a toll gate and/or a traffic signal system. Operators of the vehicles are required to place the required fare into the collection basket of the ACM when passing by the toll station. The ACM registers the fare and operates the toll gate and/or the traffic signal system associated with the toll lane.
An ACM that is used in such a toll collection system is typically equipped with a coin receiving means and a coin processing mechanism. The coin receiving means is used to accept coins from vehicle operators. The coin receiving means is typically an open, funnel-shaped basket or coin hopper into which coins are tossed by motorists. The coin receiving means channels the collected coins into an inlet opening of the coin processing mechanism, which is typically placed below the coin receiving means. The coin processing mechanism (also known as a metering device or a meter box) is connected to a circuit for operating the toll gate and/or the traffic signal system. The term xe2x80x9ccoinxe2x80x9d signifies the method of payment regardless of denomination or origin. Coins types include local currency, foreign currency, and tokens.
The process involved in the ACM is quite simple. When coins are collected by the coin receiving means, they are funneled into the coin processing mechanism, which then registers the fare and activates the toll gate and/or the traffic signal system. For example, ACMs are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,646,215 (Automatic Toll Collector Device) issued to Stovall on Jul. 21, 1953; U.S. Pat. No. 3,018,469 (Fare Collection and Signal System for Toll Roads) issued to Grant on Jan. 23, 1962; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,070,293 (Toll Collection Boxes) issued to Rosapepe on Dec. 25, 1962.
Typically, the ACM is securely located within the toll booth near the ground surface. The toll booth is often designed so that a portion of the toll booth wall extends outwardly toward the toll lane. This extension of the toll booth wall is referred to as a blister, and the ACM is often placed within this blister. The receiving means (typically a coin basket or a coin hopper) of the ACM is also attached to the outside of the toll booth, such that it is easily accessible to passing motorists. An opening in the blister allows the receiving means to be connected to the inlet of the coin processing means, which is located within the toll booth.
Unfortunately, typical automated toll collection systems are not completely reliable to provide uninterrupted collection of fares from motorists. The unreliability is particularly obvious in toll lanes that are not equipped with an alternative method of toll collection. The flow of traffic through an ACM-equipped toll lane can be severely disrupted when the ACM fails to function. For example, the ACM may stop working when the coin vault is full. Furthermore, the ACM may become inoperative if coins are stuck within the coin processing mechanism. In addition, vandals can pass through toll lanes and throw all types of foreign materials into the coin receiving means in attempts to damage or jam the coin processing mechanism. Thus, many things can happen to cause the ACM to be taken out of service.
Whenever the ACM is removed from service for any reason, the revenue collection capability in that toll lane is stopped or limited to another method of coin collection. If the affected toll lane is equipped with the ACM as the sole method of collecting revenues, no toll can be collected from motorists, resulting in a significant loss of revenue. If a manual collection system is used while the ACM is being repaired, the traffic flow can be significantly affected causing great inconvenience to the motoring public.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system that can continuously collect tolls from motorists without the above-described unreliability of existing toll collection systems. There is a need for an improved ACM that can provide increased operational availability given the increase in use and abuse by the motoring public.
The present invention provides an ACM with a redundant coin processing system having two or more coin processing mechanisms. An embodiment of the invention includes a coin collection device, two coin processing mechanisms, and a coin diverter that channels coins received from the coin collection device to one of the two coin processing mechanisms. Preferably, the coin diverter is an electronic coin diverter. Preferably, the coin diverter can be electronically switched from one coin processing mechanism to another coin processing mechanism based on predefined circumstances or service conditions associated with the coin processing mechanisms. The coin diverter can also be manually switched from a first coin processing mechanism to a second coin processing mechanism, and vice versa. It is noted that the present invention can be adapted to process not only coins, but also tokens or other suitable forms of payments.
The first coin processing mechanism is initially set up to receive coins from the coin collection device through the coin diverter. While the first coin processing mechanism is active, i.e., processing coins received from the coin diverter, the second coin processing mechanism (the inactive coin processing mechanism) can be serviced. When the first coin processing mechanism becomes disabled, in need of service, or is otherwise idle, the coin diverter is switched away from the first coin processing mechanism over to the second coin processing mechanism, thus making the first coin processing mechanism inactive, and at the same time, making the second processing mechanism active. Similarly, the coin diverter can be switched over back to the first coin processing mechanism when the second coin processing mechanism needs to be serviced.
One specific embodiment of the present invention is a toll lane ACM having a coin collection basket, two coin processing mechanisms, and an electronic coin diverter that is controlled by an automatic coin mechanism system unit. The ACM system unit has a microprocessor that can execute instruction sets associated with the present invention. As coins are received via the coin collection basket, the electronic coin diverter directs or channels the coins toward a first coin processing mechanism to be deposited in a vault associated with the first coin processing mechanism. The second coin processing mechanism and its associated coin vault remain available for switchover.
The switchover from the first coin processing mechanism to the second coin processing mechanism can occur under one of several circumstances or service conditions. For example, the service conditions can include one or more of equipment failure, preventative maintenance, vault change, and other planned workload distribution.
The electronic coin diverter is preferably installed below the coin collection basket. The discharge position of the coin diverter (which determines which coin processing mechanism is to receive the coins), the activation status of the coin processing mechanism, and the selection of a coin vault can be automatically controlled by the lane controller computer and lane application software, or can be manually overridden by the either remote or local switch commands by authorized operations or maintenance personnel.
In one embodiment, the coin diverter can also be manually switched by a toll booth attendant whenever the toll booth attendant wants to activate or deactivate a particular coin processing mechanism.
In another embodiment in which the capacity of a coin vault or vaults associated with the ACM is electronically monitored, the coin diverter can be automatically switched to a different coin processing mechanism whose vault or vaults are empty or have excess capacity to receive more coins.
In still another embodiment, the coin diverter can be electronically switched from diverting coins to a jammed coin processing mechanism to diverting coins to a standby coin processing mechanism upon detection of the jammed condition.
In still another embodiment, the ACM of the present invention can be adapted to notify a maintenance department or a service entity associated with the toll lane that service is required on a coin processing mechanism.
Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention provides for uninterrupted processing of transactions during periods when one of the coin processing mechanisms is being serviced. Thus, the redundant coin mechanisms allows for a higher percentage of toll lane uptime. Another aspect of the present invention provides means for distributed processing of transactions when both coin mechanisms are available. The invention therefore extends the operational life of an ACM by distributing coin processing tasks among multiple coin processing mechanisms.
In summary, the redundant coin processing system of the invention ensures that the toll lane has a longer, if not continuous, uptime. In addition, the redundant coin processing system helps extend the useful life the ACM. Although the preferred use of the invention is for toll collection applications, it must be noted that the present invention can be adapted for other applications in which coin processing is involved. For example, the present invention can be adapted for vending machines, parking meters, and so on. Furthermore, it is noted that the present invention can have more than two coin processing mechanisms.